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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 167 / Wednesday, September 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS3

regardless of the labeling of suggested dial locations emphasis added. DOE
is also proposing to separate section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 and section 3.2.2
of the proposed new Appendix J into two subsections: Section 3.2.5.1 in Appendix J2 and section 3.2.2.1 in the proposed new Appendix J, which specifies the wash time setting for a clothes washer cycle with a range of wash time settings; and section 3.2.5.2
in Appendix J2 and 3.2.2.2 in the proposed new Appendix J, which specifies the dial rotation procedure for a clothes washer equipped with an electromechanical dial or timer that rotates in both directions.
DOE requests comment on its proposal to clarify the wording of the wash time setting specifications in section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 and section 3.2.2 of the proposed new Appendix J.
b. Direction of Dial Rotation Section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 states that, for clothes washers with electromechanical dials controlling wash time, the dial must be turned in the direction of increasing wash time to reach the appropriate wash time setting.
DOE is aware that not all electromechanical dials currently on the market can be turned in the direction of increasing wash time. 85 FR 31065, 31075. On such models, the dial can only be turned in the direction of decreasing wash time. DOE believes that the direction of rotation need only be prescribed on a clothes washer with an electromechanical dial that can rotate in both directions. Id. In the May 2020 RFI, DOE requested comment on its understanding of the functioning of dials currently on the market, specifically with regard to the directions of rotation and whether the wording of section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2
warrants revision to specify that the requirement to rotate the dial in the direction of increasing wash time applies only to dials that can rotate in both directions. Id.
UL commented that it supports specifying that the requirement to rotate the dial in the direction of increasing wash time applies only to dials that can rotate in both directions, because some dials only rotate in one direction. UL, No. 9 at p. 3
AHAM supported amending section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 to specify that the requirement to rotate the dial in the direction of increasing wash time applies only to dials that can rotate in both directions. AHAM, No. 5 at p. 14
DOE notes general support for its suggestion to specify that the requirement to rotate the dial in the direction of increasing wash time
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applies only to dials that can rotate in both directions. In this NOPR, DOE is proposing to add a clause in section 3.2.5.2 of Appendix J2 and section 3.2.2.2 of the proposed new Appendix J that would specify that the requirement to rotate the dial in the direction of increasing wash time would only apply to dials that can rotate in both directions.
DOE requests comment on its proposal to add a clause in section 3.2.5.2 of Appendix J2 and section 3.2.2.2 of the proposed new Appendix J stating that the requirement to rotate the dial in the direction of increasing wash time would only apply to dials that can rotate in both directions.
c. Wash Time Definition The 70-percent test described above does not explicitly define how to calculate wash time. In the May 2020
RFI, DOE was considering whether to state that the phrase wash time in section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 refers to the period of agitation or tumble. 85 FR
31065, 31975. This clarification would be consistent with the historical context of this section of the test procedure. In Appendix J1997, section 2.10 Clothes washer setting refers to actual wash time as the period of agitation. In Appendix J2001, DOE renamed section 2.10 Wash time period of agitation or tumble setting.70 66 FR 3313, 3330.
When establishing Appendix J1 in the August 1997 Final Rule, DOE did not include reference to period of agitation or tumble in section 2.10 of Appendix J1. 62 FR 45484, 45510. DOE did not address this difference from Appendix J1977 in the preamble of the August 1997 Final Rule or the NOPRs that preceded that final rule, but given the continued reference to wash time in Appendix J1, did not intend to change the general understanding that wash time refers to the wash portion of the cycle, which includes agitation or tumble time. DOE has since further amended section 2.10 of both Appendix J1 and Appendix J2 as part of the March 2012 Final Rule and August 2015 Final Rule in which section 2.10 was renumbered as section 3.2.5, with no discussion in these final rules of the statement that remained in Appendix J
2001, where wash time was referred to in the title of section 2.10 as the period of agitation or tumble time. DOE further notes that in current RCW models on the market, agitation or tumble may be 70 In this context, agitation refers to the wash action of a top-loading clothes washer, whereas tumble refers to the wash action of a frontloading clothes washer.

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periodic or continuous during the wash portion of the cycle.
In the May 2020 RFI, DOE requested feedback on whether DOE should consider reincorporating language into section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 to state that the term wash time refers to the wash portion of the cycle, including agitation or tumble time. 85 FR 31065, 31076.
UL suggested that the phrase wash time include agitation or tumble time, which can be periodic throughout the wash cycle. UL, No. 9 at p. 3 UL
specified in particular that wash time could be defined as starting when the clothes washer starts filling with water, agitating or tumbling, or a combination of both; and as ending when the clothes washer drains the water from the wash portion of the cycle. Id.
AHAM agreed with DOEs proposal to state that wash time refers to the period of agitation or tumble. AHAM, No. 5 at p. 14
In order to provide further clarity in evaluating the wash time setting requirements of section 3.2.5 of Appendix J2 and section 3.2.2 of the proposed new Appendix J, DOE is proposing to define the term wash time in section 1 of both Appendix J2
and the proposed new Appendix J as the wash portion of the cycle, which begins when the cycle is initiated and includes the agitation or tumble time, which may be periodic or continuous during the wash portion of the cycle.
DOE requests comment on its proposal to add a definition of wash time to section 1 of both Appendix J2
and the proposed new Appendix J.
6. Annual Operating Cost Calculation DOE provides in 10 CFR
430.23j1ii the method for calculating the estimated annual operating cost for automatic and semiautomatic clothes washers, when using Appendix J2. In the March 2012 Final Rule, DOE assigned the symbol ETLP
to represent combined low-power mode energy consumption. However, in that rule, DOE used a different symbol ETSO in updating section 10 CFR
430.23j1ii to represent the same value. 77 FR 12888, 1393713948. DOE
is proposing to update the symbol nomenclature in 10 CFR 430.23j1ii to match the symbol nomenclature in Appendix J2.
In addition, to differentiate between values determined using Appendix J2
from values determined using the proposed new Appendix J throughout 10 CFR 430.23j, DOE is proposing to add a number 2 to each of the symbols representing values derived from Appendix J2 e.g., ETLP2 that are not already designated accordingly.

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